Atlantic Spanish Mackerel

Description:

Common features of mackerels are a slim, cylindrical shape (as opposed to the tunas, which are deeper bodied) and numerous finlets on the dorsal and ventral sides behind the dorsal and anal fins. The scales are extremely small, if present. They are fast swimming. A female mackerel may lay 500,000 eggs at one time.

Habitat:

Mackerels can be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment, but a few, like the Spanish mackerel enter bays and can be caught near bridges and piers.

Notes:

The Atlantic mackerel, is a pelagic schooling species of mackerel found on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean. The species is also called Boston mackerel or just mackerel. Although Atlantic mackerel have been somewhat depleted in the waters around Europe, the Atlantic mackerel population apparently persists at abundant levels in U.S. waters despite being overfished in the 1970s.